Monday, 28 November 2011

MEMS Implant for Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment: A Future Therapy

 By: Rita Metrani, Data Analyst, Aissel Solutions

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common and specific microvascular complication of diabetes and one of the leading global causes of preventable blindness. The Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy (WESDR) found 3.6% of type 1 diabetes patients and 1.6% of type 2 diabetes patients were legally blind. Diabetic retinopathy is rare among children at age 10 and younger. About 10% of teens with diabetes at ages 15 to 19 have diabetic retinopathy. The proportion rises from 10% to 40% between ages 20 and 29. By age 30, about 60% of people with diabetes have diabetic retinopathy, and by age 45 the figure rises to 70%.

Monday, 24 October 2011

Tricagrelor; New landmark in the evolution of Antiplatelet Therapy

By: Dr. Smitha Hegadi, Medical Analyst, Aissel Solutions

The understanding of platelet biology has yielded several targets which gave new dimensions to management of coronary syndromes. Over the years this understanding resulted in the metamorphosis of treatment of acute coronary syndromes with aspirin and Clopidogrel. But the limitations of this new therapy kept the research live and today we have Tricagrelor, new landmark in the evolution of antiplatelet therapy. Tricagrelor has qualities like faster onset of action, resistant to drug interactions which make it beneficial over the existing standard therapy.

Wednesday, 5 October 2011

Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts: New therapy for Coronary Revascularization

By: Smita Kadam, Data Analyst, Aissel Solutions
 
Despite over 50 years of research in the field of Synthetic Materials, native Vein and Artery segments are most commonly used for Revascularization procedures in Cardiac Surgery. Unfortunately suitable Veins or Arteries are not always available for peripheral or Coronary Revascularization, on the other hand artificial grafts do not grow with the body and frequent replacement is must. More over artificial grafts are susceptible to infection, poor durability and calcification when being attacked by the immune system. But the development of functional Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts (TEVG) using tissue engineering techniques and engineering principles has the potential of tremendously effecting Coronary and Peripheral Artery Bypass Surgeries.

Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Tumor Specific T cells with improved efficacy; Experts thank new age genetic engineering tools

By: Nityanand C, Data Analyst, Aissel Solutions

Cancer Immunotherapy is one of the recent successful approaches in the treatment of cancer. This concept has evolved on the principle that a competent immune system can prevent the spread and growth of tumors very effectively than any other therapeutics. The earlier days of this concept’s inception didn’t see any promising practical results but over the years there has been a tremendous improvement in the approach and results as well. Many of the therapeutics evolved through this concept are already in clinical use today.

Friday, 22 July 2011

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI); new breakthrough technology for Heart Valve replacement

By: Nityanand C, Data Analyst, Aissel Solutions

Aortic Valve replacement in Aortic Stenosis subjects is usually carried out by highly invasive cardiac surgery; commonly known as open heart surgery. Because of operational complications and post-operative risks most of the subjects with severe Stenosis are not referred to this surgery. But a new minimally invasive technology TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) which utilizes less than 10mm catheters to replace the deteriorated valve would set a new bench mark in Cardiac Surgery, if it meets all the safety parameters. CoreValve Revalving System and Edwards SAPIEN XT Transcatheter Heart Valve are fabricated on this principle and are under clinical trials.

Friday, 1 July 2011

SiRNA; a short nuleotide chain with a great potential to combat cancer

By: Rita Metrani, Data Analyst, Aissel Solutions

RNA interference (RNAi), an accurate and potent gene-silencing method, was first experimentally documented in 1998 in Caenorhabditis elegans by Fire et al., who subsequently were awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Medicine. The discovery of 21-23 nucleotide RNA duplexes, called small interference RNA (siRNA) may be one of the transforming events in biology in the past decade. RNAi can result in gene silencing or even in removing of sequences from the genome. Efforts to understand its mode of action have revealed a central role in gene regulation and host defense. The specificity, efficiency and potency of RNAi make it an attractive tool for analyzing the function of genes. This focuses on the potential therapeutic use of RNAi for various diseases, the current understanding of RNAi biology and how RNAi has been utilized to study the role of different genes in the pathogenesis of cancer, HIV, infectious diseases, Hepatitis B virus (HBV), cardiovascular and cerebral diseases, neurogenerative diseases, malaria, etc..

New Drugs to Diabetes Prevention kit, but a healthy lifestyle is must!!

By: Dr. Smitha Hegadi, Medical Analyst, Aissel Solutions

Diabetes is one of the major global healthcare burdens which affects all age group population. There has been rigorous research going on since decades towards finding a most significant medication to combat this burden. The additions to the existing chain of medications sound never ending but to prevent the addition of more number of people to Diabetes Subjects’ registry, there is an evident need of educating people about Diabetes and the importance of healthy lifestyle.